Clinton Township teen starts GOP political club

George Hunter / The Detroit News

CLINTON TOWNSHIP -- Stephanie Jaczkowski wants to change the world, but unlike other idealistic 17-year-olds, she isn't just dreaming -- she has a plan.

Jaczkowski, youth chair for the Macomb County Republican Party, helped organize the Teenage Republicans Club, which held its first meeting this week.

"It's been my dream to get a group like that going," said Jaczkowski, a home schooled student who earned a scholarship to Central Michigan University. "I'm planning to go into politics, and organizing a political group is a good way to get started."

When asked what problems she would tackle first if elected to political office, Jaczkowski was quick with a question of her own: "Are you talking about in a dream situation, or in the real world? Because in the real world, you can't get everything done you want; there are things you have to work around."

Jaczkowski said in a dream system, she'd like to fix the corruption in politics. "But that's a dream," she said.

In the real world?

"I'd tackle Social Security," she said "I started paying into the system in August (when she got her first job working in the Macomb County Community College book store), and I honestly don't' think I'll get any of that money back. That's something that needs to be fixed."

Jaczkowski is taking classes at Macomb Community College, which will be applied toward her college credits when she enrolls at CMU in the fall. She plans to major in political science.

"At this point, I'm not sure if I want to actually become a politician, or work behind the scenes as an advisor.

"Being a politician, you have more of a means to change things, because you have a direct vote," she said. "On the other hand, being a campaign manager, you get to pick who you want to support, and there's a lot less compromising your morals and beliefs. But I have time to make up my mind about what I want to do."

Donna Jaczkowski said she's proud of her daughter.

"I'm in amazement at what she's undertaken," she said. "Her dad and I try to get involved in things, and we taught them to jump in with both feet and do what you can do. So she's doing it."